Car-coupling and draw-head.



w. L. SELMAN CAR COUPLING AND DRAW HEAD."

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11. I913.

' Patented June 6, 1916.

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w. L. SELMANQ CAR COUPLING A'ND DRAW HEAD. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1}, I913. I 1 ,1 85,841, Patented June 6,1916.

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WILLIAM L. SELCMAN, OF GORE, GEORGIA.

CAR-COUPLING AND DRAW-HEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Application filed June 11, 1913. Serial No. 773,125.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVILLIAM L. SELMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gore, in the county of Chattooga and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings and Draw-Heads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in car couplings, and has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructed device which may be quickly and positively released and which firmly holds the locking knuckle from displacement while in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having a draw head formed with an outwardly opening recess to receive the tail of the knuckle and into which the locking mechanism is wholly inclosed, and thereby protected from injury and from the elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device wherein the knuckle member is forced into its outward or released position by the same mechanism which actuates the locking member.

with these and other objectsin view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claim, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the inven-' tion.

Figure 1 is a plan view with the head por: tion of the coupler in transverse section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the head partly in section and the frame which supports the drawhead likewise in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The body or head of the coupler is represented conventionally at 10 and having the knuckle 11 pivoted thereto at 12. The head 10 is formed with an interior cavity 13 which opens only toward the knuckle and into which the tail 14 of the knuckle extends. Atits inner end the tail 14 is extended longitudinally of the head and draw bar as indicated at '15 with the upper surface oblique to the horizontal as represented at 16. At its free end the tail 14 is likewise extended laterally for a short distance as represented at 17 with the upper surface of the lateral portion likewise oblique and merging into the oblique surface 16, the object to be hereafter explained.

Slidably disposed within the cavity 13 is alocking block 18 against one side of which the extension 15 bears when the knuckle 11 is in its closed position as represented in Fig.

the block is in posit ion.- Extending verti-' eally through the head 10 is a guide rod 19 having a head 20 at its upper end to limit the downward movement and prevented from upward movement by a cotter pin or key 21 extending through the lower end below the head 10. The block 18 is provided with an ear or lug 22 through which the rod 19 extends. By this means the vertical movement of the block is controlled. The block 18 is provided with a transverse recess 23 through which a lever arm 24 extends and is pivoted in the recess at 25.

At one end the member 24 is directed downwardly as represented at 26 and terminates rearwardly of the projection 15 of the tail 14 as represented in Fig. 3. Pivoted at 27 to the lower arm at the opposite side of the block 18 is a pull rod 28 extending through the upper side of the block 10 and provided with suitable means such as a chain 29 to actuate the pull rod.

Any suitable means may be employed for actuating the chain 29, but as this portion of the device does not constitute a part of the present invention it is not deemed necessary to illustrate the same. By this simple arrangement it will be obvious that by elevating the block 18 the knuckle llmay be moved into closed position, and this movement causes the terminal 17 of the extension 15 to pass beneath the elevated block 18 and rearwardly of the downwardly directed portion 26 'of the lever 24. With the parts arranged as illustrated in Fig. 1 the block 18 is then Patented June 6, 1916.

dropped into position between the extension 15 and the body of the head. When in this position the knuckle is firmly supported and held from movement. When the coupling is to be released an upward pull upon the chain 29 will elevate the block 18 until its end is above the lower inclined face of the extension 14 when the knuckle may be drawn outwardly into open position. The upward movement of the block is accomplished through the instrumentality of the lever 24, and the upward movement of the latter will cause the downwardly directed portion 26 to move toward the block 18 and carry the tail 14 around with it, the terminal 26 being retained in contact with the tail 14 through the action of the extension 17 during the greater part of the releasing movement of the knuckle, to increase the force of the action of the member 24-26, and thus form an effectual kick-off for the knuckle, and cause the latter to positively act or move into open position. knuckle sticking or failing to open when no strain is applied is obviated. By forming the upper face of the extension 17 inclined the locking member rests upon the inclined surface when the knuckle is in open position, and then when the cars are forced together in the act of coupling the displacement of the extension 17 from beneath the locking member is materially facilitated by the upper inclined face thereof, and the friction thus materially reduced and all danger of the parts sticking is obviated. When two cars are to be uncoupled the bar 18 is drawn upwardly and if nostrain is applied to the knuckle the downwardly directed portion 26 of the lever arm will positively move the knuckle'into open position.

' The drawhead portion of the improved device comprises a bar 30 extending rear-' wardly of the head 10 and reduced at its inner end to receive a U-shaped strap 31. Bearing beneath the lower side of the strap 31 at its inner end, or opposite the portion 30 of the coupler, is another block 32. The block 32, the strap members 31 and the portion 30 of the coupler are firmly united by relatively heavy clamp bolts 33. The strap 31 bears around one of the pull timbers 34 of the car frame as shown in Fig. 2.

Bearing around three sides of the portion 30 ofthe coupler and likewise around the.

lower portion of the strap 31, is a housing plate 35, and connected to the upperface of the housing are bearing plates 3637. The plates 3637 are secured together and likewise to the frame member 34 of the car by bolts 38, as shown. The lower portion of the member 35 extends through an aperture Thus all danger of the in the pull timber 34 together with the lower side of the member 31 as represented in Fig. 2, while the remaining portion of the member 31 is extended laterally in the form of flanges indicated at 39 and bolted or otherwise secured to the pull timber 34. Oblique braces 40 are arranged between the lower sides of the member 31 and the timber 34.

Disposed between the sides of the member 35 and the upper and lower sides of the strap 31 is a block 41, and extending through the block 41 is a rod 42 having an adjusting nut 43 rearwardly of the block and with a head 44 engaging in a socket in the portion 30 of the drawhead. A relatively heavy spring 45 surrounds the rod 42 between the block 41 and the inner end of the portion 30 of the drawhead to form a buffer to absorb the concussion when the coupler moves inwardly. The block 41 is spaced from the timber 34 to provide for the necessary looseness between the couplers which is a necessary requisite especially in the couplings of freight cars.

Extending from the block 32 is a rod 46 which projects through a portion of the timber 34, and is surrounded by a spring 47 which bears at one end against the block 32 and at the other end against the adjacent portion of the timber 34. A strap 48 is bolted or otherwise secured to the block 32, preferably by the same bolts 33 by which the members of the strap 31 are secured and with its outer end upturned as represented at 49 and rigidly secured as by a clamp bolt 50 to the terminal of the rod46. The spring 47 is a concussion spring and operates to hold the coupler in its forward or operative position, while at the same time yielding when pressure is applied to the coupler.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a car coupler, a head having an out wardly opening recess, a knuckle including a throw-off tail pivoted in said head, a guide rod extending through said head and its recess and removable therefrom, a locking block movable wholly within said recess and into the path of said knuckle and its tail portion, said block having a perforated lug slidably engaging said rod, an arm swinging upon said block and extending at one end for engagement with said throw-off tail, and operating means connected to the other end of said arm.

In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. SELMAN. [L.s.]

Witnesses F. C. IRVINE,

BLANCHE IRVINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

' I Washington, D. G." 

